Dick Erath Interview

After producing his first barrel of wine in his garage in California, Dick Erath moved to Dundee, Oregon with his family in 1968. In 1969, he planted 4 acres of grapes, finding Pinot Noir to be the most successful. Over the years, Dick Erath designed and constructed the Erath Winery, received the Best American Pinot Noir award, and slowly expanded his business both nationally and internationally. In 2003, the Erath Winery transitioned from having Erath as the principal winemaker to Gary Horner as the principal winemaker, and in 2006 Ste. Michelle Wine Estates bought Erath Winery. Since this transition, Erath Winery has continued to rank among the most successful wineries in the industry and has continued to represent the strength of Oregon wines in the international wine world. In this interview, Dick Erath shares about the early days, why he chose Oregon for winemaking, and some things he learned. To Erath, there was no question in planting Pinot Noir, and he refers to it as the Holy Grail of grapes. Erath also discusses the evolution of his business and the industry as a whole. He shares details on cover crops, grafting, trellising, and more. For a shareable version of this video, please see the interview on YouTube